If the idea of having the ability to drink your favorite gourmet espresso beverages while relaxing in the comfort of your home seems appealing to you, then it might be time to think about buying one of the many espresso coffee machines that you can get now for home usage.
While these machines are more expensive than a basic coffee maker, if you buy a couple espressos each day from a coffee house, then it will not take long before the cost of the new machine will more than pay for itself.
In addition to the espresso makers that are available, there is also a great deal of optional espresso-making equipment that you can buy that will make your coffee making easier and more complete. If you want to have the very freshest and most flavorful espresso coffee possible, then you will want to buy gourmet espresso coffee beans as well. You can buy these already roasted, or you can opt for doing home roasting, as there is special equipment that you can also buy to do this type of coffee bean roasting in your home.
Whether or not you decide to do the roasting yourself, if you buy the whole espresso coffee beans, then you will also need an espresso grinder to prepare the beans for brewing. Several espresso coffee machines have espresso grinders built right into them. This can save you space and can be cheaper than buying a separate coffee grinder in addition to the espresso machine.
Nonetheless, before you decide on buying any type of espresso maker, you should understand a few things about espresso making in general. When folks look at the large and beautiful commercial espresso machines, they often fail to realize that these grand machines are large for a very good and important reason. The process of properly producing a quality cup of espresso requires a number of specific technical parameters, in order to produce espresso that is of consistently high quality.
Reproducing these exacting parameters in the kitchen of your home is not as easy as some would assume, and so the machines that are small enough for home usage must be well-built and high quality, if you want to enjoy the same quality of beverages that you have come to expect from your favorite coffee house. This type of home espresso equipment that produces consistent quality tends to be rather expensive.
Nevertheless, there are several models of home espresso machines from which to choose. You will be able to find basic models that sell for under $100, yet at the same time, if you go for a high-end model with all the bells and whistles, you could easily spend $1,000. When it comes to Italian espresso coffee makers, just remember that you will get what you pay for.
Folks who want to make beverages that are coffee house quality in their home should look into the commercial, espresso coffee machines. These Italian espresso machines are quite a bit larger than home espresso machines, but they have a greater capacity and provide higher quality beverages consistently. They are great for folks who like to entertain and serve gourmet coffees or for families that enjoy drinking gourmet coffee together. However, these units start at just under $1,000 and can cost as much as $3,000.